Upper turntable apparatus for positioning railroad ties

ABSTRACT

A tie delivering system for use in an apparatus for constructing railroad track sections comprising a support structure including a conveying path, means for conveying a plurality of longitudinally spaced ties along said path, means for delivering a pair of laterally spaced rails above said ties such that the rails are initially vertically spaced above the ties and come to rest on the ties and means for delivering an assembled track section from the path. The tie delivery system includes a tie storage structure mounted on said support structure at an elevation higher than the conveying means and arranged to hold ties in a position parallel to the rails, an elongated tie receiving chute extending downwardly from said tie support structure between and parallel to said rails, means associated with said chute for releasably holding a tie therein, a tie receiving turntable positioned below said chute for receiving a tie released from the chute, said turntable having an elongated tie receiving opening extending vertically therethrough and said turntable being rotatable through 90* in a horizontal plane positioned below said rails and above said conveying path, the rotation being between a location in which the turntable opening is in alignment with the chute and a location in which the turntable opening is longitudinally at right angles with the rails and means associated with said turntable opening for holding a tie therein and releasing the tie to be deposited onto the conveyor when the turntable opening is at right angles with the rails.

United States Patent 1191 Rymes 11 3,728,968 [4 1 Apr. 24,1973

1 1 UPPER TURNTABLE APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING RAILROAD TIES John Edis Rymes, Calgary, Alberta,

Canada [75] Inventor:

[52] U.S. Cl .104/5, 105/367, 214/85 A [51] Int. Cl. ..E01b 29/05 [58] Field of Search 104/29;

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,058,915 4/1913 Simpson 104/6 3,604,358 9/1971 Plasser et a1 ..lO4/6 3,613,598 10/1971 Plasser et al....'. ..lO4/6 3,638,577 10/1969 Plasser et a1 ..104/6 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Bertsch Att0rneyPeter Kirby, Charles P. Curphey and Norris M. Eades [57} ABSTRACT A tic delivering system for use in an apparatus for constructing railroad track sections comprising a support structure including a conveying path, means for conveying a plurality of longitudinally spaced ties along said path, means for delivering a pair of laterally spaced rails above said ties such that the rails are initially vertically spaced above the ties and come to rest on the ties and means for delivering an assembled track section from the path. The tie delivery system includes a tie storage structure mounted on said support structure at an elevation higher than the conveying means and arranged to hold ties in a position parallel to the rails, an elongated tie receiving chute extending downwardly from said tie support structure between and parallel to said rails, means associated with said chute for releasably holding a tie therein, a tie receiving turntable positioned below said chute for receiving a tie released from the chute, said turntable having an elongated tie receiving opening extending vertically therethrough and said turntable being rotatable through 90 in a horizontal plane positioned below said rails and above said conveying path, the rotation being between a location in which the turntable opening is in alignment with the chute and a location in which the turntable opening is longitudinally at right angles with the rails and means associated withsaid turntable opening for holding a tie therein and releasing the tie to be deposited onto the conveyor when the turntable opening is at right angles with the rails.

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FIG. 8.

RELAY UPPER TURNTABLE APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING RAILROAD TIES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to the construction of railroad tracks and, more particularly, to a new and improved method and apparatus for inserting ties on a device for continuously pre-constructing railroad tracks and the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art In the construction of railroad tracks and the like, the essential physical components are rails, tie plates, spikes, ties, bars, rivets and/or bolts, nuts and washers, etc. used in various arrangements depending on the specifications of the particular track system. It is a common practice to pre-prepare a roadbed on which a track assembly is to be laid and final ballast is introduced to bring the track system to its designated grade. The ties are usually made from a non-ferrous material, such as wood, and they form the bed in which the rails are placed, with the rails and ties being joined by means of the tie plates and spikes in a ladder configuration. It is, therefore, a requirement of all railroad track construction that the ties must be placed beneath the rails.

In early construction days, the ties were placed in a generally haphazard alignment along the previously prepared roadbed and were finally aligned and joined to the rails by large groups, or gangs, of men. This type of construction had, as is generally recognized in the art, a very high manhour requirement. As this high manhour requirement has become a more serious economic factor, many and varied devices have been developed to reduce the manhour requirement, including devices for distributing ties in a more uniform manner. All of these prior devices have, in effect, used a head end or pioneer car or tram with suitable devices mounted thereon. The devices mounted on the pioneer car or tram are primarily for alignment and distribution, and include, for example, cranes, jib booms and the like to convey ties and related material in front of the head end on the previously prepared roadbed. The pioneer car or tram is also used as a general transportation vehicle to carry ties, tie plates, spikes, etc. It is important to realize that all of these developments utilizing a head end or pioneer car use the railroad track that had been previously laid on the roadbed for travel. In other words, the head end car was pushed along the immediately previously laid track by means of a locomotive of such similar device.

The head end or pioneer car has also been used to lay pre-assembled sections of railroad track. An example of such a head end car for laying pre-assembled sections of railroad track can be found in Boulard, U. S. Pat. No. 2,696,791 issued Dec. 14, I954. A system for forming these pre-assembled sections'of track that can be transported to the site and laid on the roadbed is described in Kerns, US. Pat. No. 3,420,186, issued Jan. 7, 1969.

It has been well recognized in the art that considerable limitations are imposed when the head end or pioneer car with suitable equipment mounted thereon is used for construction of a continuing railroad track assembly. Accordingly, a new technique is now gaining quite wide popularity which utilizes an independent and separate mobile machine operating on the prepared roadbed in advance of the track assembly. In this system, track systems are pre-fabricated and can be continuously dispersed at the rear of the mobile tracklayer machine so that the mobile machine continuously moves away from the track assembly as it is being deposited on the road-bed. There are very obvious advantages to this type of construction, not the least of which is the reduction in manhour requirements. This type of construction can be utilized in open areas and it provides a greater degree of flexibility in various track specifications while at the same time being capable of laying a track in a more efficient manner than was previously possible with the head end or pioneer car construction system.

The mobile machine for assembling and laying a track on a pre-prepared roadbed normally includes an elongated conveyor adapted to have a plurality of railroad ties sequentially disposed laterally on one end thereof and thereafter have a pair of spaced parallel railroad rails deposited on top of the ties. The conveyor includes means for uniformly longitudinally spacing the ties and means adjacent the conveyor for laterally aligning the ties. The apparatus also includes gauging means for ensuring that the railroad rails are spaced a predetermined uniform distance apart. A plurality of powered spike driving hammers can be provided adjacent each of the railroad rails of the track assembly. These hammers can be longitudinally slidably mounted on overhead support structures and means can be provided for releasably connecting the hammers to the rails so that the hammers may move longitudinally with the rails as the track sections are moved along the conveyor. Thus, the spikes utilized in fastening the railroad rails and ties together can be driven into the ties while the same are being conveyed as so obviating the necessity for momentarily stopping the conveyor as eachof the spikes is being driven.

With such a continuous system, in order to minimize manpower requirements, it is important to carry a large supply of ties on the mobile machine in a prepared storage area and these are usually arranged at right angles to the rails. In this manner the ties are introduced one at a time beneath the rails and are carried along by the conveyor as mentioned above.

It has been found that this type of tie storage and insertion procedure has a number of disadvantages which reduce the flexibility of the mobile tracklayer. With the ties stacked at right angles to the rails, in order to slide the ties under the rails it is necessary for the tie storage stack to protrude a considerable distance out of one side of the tracklaying machine. This large protrusion seriously interferes with the use of the systemin many areas where tracks are laid, such as past platforms, in tunnels, over bridges and in general areas where the track or right of way has physical confining limitations. lt istherefore, the object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for inserting ties beneath the rails on a mobile tracklaying machine which will avoid the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, the ties are stored in a tie storage bank on the mobile tracklaying machine in a manner parallel to the rails. This storage bank is carried on the machine at a location above the conveyor where the ties and rails are being assembled and can be centered on the machine without any interfering lateral projections. The floor of the tie storage bank includes a rectangular opening slightly larger then the dimensions ofa tie and associated with this opening is a downwardly extending chute. The rectangular opening and chute are in alignment with the ties being carried in the storage bank. The chute also includes a device for releasably holding a tie therein so that when a vertical stack of ties is positioned in the chute, the tie holding device will sequentially release ties from the chute upon command.

Directly below the chute is positioned a tie receiving turntable mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane above the conveyor and below the rails being delivered to the conveyor. This turntable includes an elongated passageway extending vertically therethrough, this passageway having dimensions slightly greater than the largest dimensions of a tie. The turntable is designed to turn through 90 so that when it receives a tie, the turntable passageway is in alignment with the chute and parallel with the rails and with a tie in the passageway the turntable rotates through 90 so that the contained tie is now in a transverse position at right angles to the rails. An arrangement is provide whereby a tie which drops into the turntable passageway is retained within the passageway to rotate with the turntable and is released from the passageway only when the tie and passageway are at right angles to the rails. The tie retaining means can be in the form of holding devices within the turntable or in the form of fixed arcuate tie support plates beneath the turntable.

The tie which is released from the turntable passageway is deposited on the conveyor. This can be done either by simply dropping the tie from the turntable passageway onto the conveyor or by means ofa vertically reciprocating tie cradle which receives the tie from the turntable then lowers to deposit the tie on the conveyor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The turntable is preferably in the form of a rectangular housing having internal dimensions slightly larger than the dimensions of a tie. A pair of semi-circular plates extend outwardly from each side wall, these being centered longitudinally on the side walls.

A pair of hangers extend downwardly from the support frame of the tie storage bank and these include horizontal support faces on which the semi-circular plates of the turntable rest. These horizontal support faces are preferably in the shape of sectors of not greater than 90 and the pair are in diametrically opposed spaced relationship. With this arrangement it will be seen that the turntable is free to rotate through 90 while the ties are free to pass through the axis of rotation of the turntable.

It will, of course, be evident that since there is no actual pivot, appropriate peripheral guide walls must be provided to control the lateral position of the turntable with respect to the hanger support faces. The rotation of the turntable can be conveniently accomplished by means of one or more powered cylinders attached to the semi-circular plates, but it will be evident that this rotation through can be equally well achieved by many other known techniques.

The tie storage bank is preferably provided with a crowder system which urges a stack of ties towards the rectangular opening. Thus, when the last tie in a vertical stack has disappeared into the opening in the floor, the crowder mechanism is actuated to push the next vertical stack of ties into position over the opening and provide a continuous feed to the chute.

The tie holding devices in the tie chute as well as any that might be used in the turntable passageway can conveniently be in the form of powered gripping plates.

When a vertically movable tie cradle is used, it is preferably in the form of a vertically mounted pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder with a tie holding cradle mounted on the top end of the piston rod.

This system of a vertical chute in the bottom of the storage bank and the cooperating tie receiving turntable provides a very simple and trouble-free arrangement for delivering ties sequentially from the tie storage bank to the track assembling conveyor and it will be appreciated that this system can be actuated manually or it can be completely automatically controlled. Moreover, it will be understood that although the system of this invention is particularly useful in combination with a mobile tracklaying machine it can also be used with a stationary continuous track assembling machine such as that described in US. Pat. No. 3 ,420,1 86.

It is also to be understood that the system of this invention works equally well with either plain ties or with pre-plated ties. There are situations where pre-plated ties are mandatory and the ability to handle either plain or pre-plated ties is thus another important advantage of the invention.

A more complete understanding of the present invention and the various features thereof can be obtained from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of typical mobile trackJaying machine;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tracklaying machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation in partial section showing an embodiment of the tie delivery system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the tie delivery system shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 3 with the turntable rotated through 90;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the turntable shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an end elevation in partial section showing a second embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of an electrical control system.

The mobile tracklaying machine as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a tractor unit 1 and a trailer unit 2 attached thereto. The tractor unit has a heavy steel frame 3 and is supported by large pneumatic tires 4. A platform 5 is mounted on the frame 3 and this platform includes walkways 6 for workmen and safety handrails 7. A pair of rail support structures 8 are mounted on unit 1 and these project at the forward end as shown. Rails 9 travel on rollers 10 mounted on the support frames 8 and are held against lateral movement by the upwardly projecting brackets l 1.

The unit 1 is self-propelled and is powdered by engine 12 and also includes a crane unit 13. This crane unit 13 includes a main body portion 14, a main boom 15 and a telescoping boom 16 as well as an operator station 17. This crane unit 13 serves as a general purpose lifting device for the tracklaying machine and, for instance, is used to lift bundles of ties in position as well as for positioning new rails on the tracklaying machine and for any other required lifting purpose.

Looking now at the trailer unit 2, it will be seen that it also has a main heavy frame structure 20 and travels along the roadbed 18 supported on pneumatic tires 21. The trailer unit 2 is connected to 'the forward unit 1 by means of a fifth wheel an assembly 22 or equivalent, such connection incorporating at least 2 of freedom.

On each side of trailer unit 2 is mounted a walkway 23 with guardrails 24. These walkways are for workmen who may for instance hand place tie plates on the ties, place and set spikes and inspect the operation.

At a higher elevation is positioned a support platform for arranging ties in longitudinally spaced relationship to receive rails and this includes a horizontal portion 25 and a downwardly and rearwardly incline portion 26. Travelling in this platform are a pair of endless conveyor chains 29 with upwardly projecting tie engaging lugs 29A.

A stack of ties 50 is positioned on the trailer unit 2 parallel to the rails and these are delivered sequentially to platform 25 by means of the device of this invention as described in detail hereinafter. On the platform 25 the tie 32 is picked up by the projecting lugs 29A of conveyor chain 29 and is carried along towards the rear of the trailer unit 2. As the tie 32 moves along, it assumes an aligned position adjacent guide wall 31. In this position the ties are carried along at equally spaced and properly aligned positions. If plain ties are being used, tie plates are at this point set in position on each tie 32 either manually by workmen standing on platform 23 or by means of an automatic machine not shown.

As the ties 32 with tie plates 33 in position start down the incline sections 26, they come into engagement with rails 9. In this relationship rails, ties and tie plates pass a power driven spike driving device 34 which spikes the rails 9 onto the ties 32 through the tie plates 33. This spike driving unit is shown with an operator seat 35 and a control panel 36 for manual operation but it can equally well be replaced by an automatic device.

The usual lengths of rails can be distributed along the right of way and picked up as needed by crane l3 and positioned on rollers 10. These rails are then bolted to the rails already travelling through the machine so that the rail sections continue through the machine and are assembled with the ties without interruption. The rails 9 are held in close contact with the ties 32 by means of spring loaded presser rollers 41 mounted on posts 37 and rollers 42 mounted on spike driving device 34.

This machine is also readily adaptable for use with welded lengths of rails.

As the entire vehicle moves forward, the completely assembled rail units 43 ease off the back end and settle onto the right of way 18. This track in position on the roadbed is then supplied with ballast and tamped in the usual manner.

The tie inserter mechanism of the present invention is particularly useful with an assembling machine of the above type and is illustrated by the FIGS. 3 to 8.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, a tie storage bank 511 includes a pair of storage areas 51A and 51B and a pair of crowder walls 52A and 5213. The floor of the tie storage bank includes beam members 53 and also has in the central area thereof a rectangular opening 56 which is slightly larger than the dimensions of a tie. Extending downwardly from this opening 56 is a rectangular chute 54 for receiving ties 55.

In the view shown in FIG. 3, the left-hand bank of ties is being fed into the system so that the crowder wall 52A has moved inwardly the distance of one single vertical stack of ties. In having moved this distance it has pushed a single vertical stack of ties 55 over the opening 56 so that they have dropped down into the chute 54. They are held from continuing down this chute by a releasable holding device 57 which is shown holding the lowermost tie in the chute.

The tie storage bank 50 is supported from the main frame members 20 of the tracklaying machine by means of outboard beam members 58 and vertical beam members 59 which are attached to floor beams 53 of the tie storage bank.

The endless conveyor chains 29 and upwardly extending tie engaging lugs 29A described in FIGSQl and 2 are also shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 and it will be seen that the conveyor chains travel in channel 60 formed by angle members 61 and the faces of main support beams 20. A tail pulley 62 is shown for one end of the conveyor system while the powered forward drive pulley is not illustrated.

As can be clearly seen from FIG. 4, the conveyor system carries along equally spaced ties 32 which are in a position to receive a pair of laterally spaced parallel rails 9. These rails 9 are gradually approaching the conveyor so that they eventually come to rest on the ties as seen from FIG. 1 However, at the position of the tie delivering system of the invention, as seen from FIGS. 3 and 5, the rails 9 are still vertically spaced from the conveyor 29 and the ties 32 travelling thereon.

The turntable structure includes a rectangular housing 63 having side walls 64 and end pieces 65. This housing 63 has interior dimensions slightly larger than the dimensions of a tie. Extending outwardly from the top edges of side walls 64 are support flanges 66 and, as will be seen from FIG. 6, these support flanges exhibit semi-circular faces 67. These can be made from heavy plate steel and welded directly to the housing side walls 64 and are preferably centrally located so that the device will be balanced. Also mounted in turntable housing 63 is a tie sensing device 94, which can be in the form of an electric or cold light beam which is interrupted by the passage ofa tie in housing 63.

The turntable is supported by means of hangers 69 which are mounted to tie storage area floor beams 53. Two of these hangers are used and it will be seen that each has an inwardly directed horizontal portion 70. These inwardly directed portions support sector shaped bearing faces 71 on which the semicircular flanges 67 rest. These sectors 71 are preferably not greater than and are arranged in diametrically opposed spaced relationship as shown in FIG. 6. With this arrangement it will be seen that the housing 63 can rotate 90 through the arcs 84 and 85. The hangers 69 can also be provided with angle pieces 72 which serve as guide pieces for the semi-circular flanges 66. To further assist the turntable in its rotation arcuate guide rails 92 can be mounted on the machine frame and follower rolls 9] be mounted on the ends of turntable housing 63 to travel on the guide and thus control and rotation of the turntable. The turntable can be conveniently actuated by means of a cylinder 83 which is connected to one of the semi-circular flanges 66.

Directly below the ends 65 of the turntable housing 63 are mounted two butt plates 86 suitably supported to the main frame by gussets 87. As will be seen from FIG. 4, the ties in the rectangular opening 56 of the storage system are stacked vertically and are resting on the butt plates 86. The turntable operation is so arranged that the opening of the turntable is in alignment with the chute 54 of the tie storage area and in this manner, the ties are stacked vertically and rest on the butt plates 86.

Referring to FIG. 6, it will be seen that adjacent the butt plates are arcuate ramp plates 88 which extend approximately 90 in the direction of the turntable travel. At the position approximately 90 from the horizontal butt. plates 86 are mounted vertical butt plates 89 which are suitably reinforced to frame members by gussets 90. Each of the ramp plates 88 terminates a short distance before the vertical butt plates 89 so as to provide openings 97 slightly larger than the width of a tie. The ramp plates 88 preferably have a slightly downward slope to provide clearance between the tie in rotation in the turntable and the last or bottom tie 80 in chute 54 being held by holding device 57.

The device operates in the following manner. With the lowermost tie 80 in chute 54 being held by means of holding device 57, the turntable housing 63 is brought into alignment with the chute. In this aligned position the tie holding device 57 releases permitting the tie in position 80 to drop down out of chute 54 and into the passageway in housing 63. This tie continues to fall until it lands on horizontal butt plates 86 and the ties stacked above this tie 80 come to rest on tie 80. The entry of tie 80 into the housing 63 actuates the tie sensing device 94 and this in turn actuates an electrical system which causes the holding device 5.7 to hold the tie immediately above the tie which has just entered housing 63. This prevents any further downward movement of the ties stacked above the tie in housing 63. The actuation of this electrical system also actuates cylinder 83 causing rotation of the turntable. As the turntable begins to rotate, a switch 93 is also actuated to provide a parallel holding electrical circuit which was previously actuated by the tie sensing device 94. During the rotation, the tie in housing 63 is carried along by the turntable while resting on the ramp plates 88. When the cylinder 83 has reached its almost fully extended position, the respective side walls 64 arrive at the butt against the vertical butt plates 89. A cushion end can be provided in the cylinder to prevent a crash collision between the side walls 64 and vertical butt plates 89. With the turntable in this position the tie contained therein drops through openings 97 and down onto frame from which it is carried rearwardly along the machine by conveyor plates 29A.

The release of the tie from housing 63 completes the beam of the sensing device 94 and this causes the cylinder 83 to be powered in the reverse direction and the turntable now begins to rotate to its starting position where another tie will be received. With the switch 93 still actuated, the electrical system is still actuated which provides the power to reverse the cylinder 83 and to maintain the holding power of the holding device 57. As the turntable returns to its initial start position, switch 93 is opened. The residual power in the cylinder system brings the turntable completely to its start position and the opening of switch 93 releases the holding device 57. With the release of this, the tie in position 80 and those above now drop down with the lowermost, tie landing on butt plates 86. This once again actuates the sensing device 94 and the tie insertion cycle begins again.

Because of micro time delays in the powered system, the holding devices 57 will engage the falling stack of ties just prior to the bottom tie landing on the butt plates 86. This means that the next higher tie will nor mally be held by the holding device 57 before the lowermost tie comes into contact with the butt plates 87 so that when the lowermost tie is resting on the butt plates there is a slight clearance between this tie and the next higher tie. As mentioned above the ramp plates 88 can also be given a slight downward slope to ensure that as the tie rotates there will be a sufficient space gap between the upper surface of the rotating tie and the lower surface of the tie being held.

Thus, it will be seen that by having each component of the device carry out a single function, the speed of operation of the device can be greatly increased and the rate at which ties can be positioned is not a limiting factor in determining the rate of operation of the overall track laying machine.

A simplified electrical control system for the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this circuit it will be seen that the tie sensing device is illustrated by the numeral 94 while the turntable switch is shown by the numeral 93. Solenoid valve 95 feeds turntable cylinder 83 while solenoid valve 96 feeds the tie holding device 57.

Certain alternative embodiments of the invention are illustrated in FIG. 7. In this view, holding devices 68 are shown in the side walls 64 of the turntable housing and these grip and hold the tie within the housing. This holding device 68 can be used either to hold the tie in the turntable while it is being rotated and then drop the tie directly onto the conveyor 29 or it can be used in combination with a mechanism for positively lowering the tie from the turntable onto the conveyor.

The lowering mechanism includes a vertically positioned hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 73 with a piston rod 74. This cylinder 73 is fixed in position by means of beam member 75 and angular braces 76 which firmly fasten it main support beam 20. On the top of rod 74 is mounted a tie holding cradle 77.

The device operates in the following manner. With the ties 55 being held in chute 54 by means of the tie holding device holding the tie in position 80, The turntable housing 63 is brought into alignment with chute 54. In this aligned position the tie holding device 57 is released permitting the tie in position 80 to drop down out of chute 54 and into the passageway in housing 63. At this time the tie holding device 68 is actuated preventing the tie which is dropping down from passing all the way through the housing and this tie is held in the position 81. The period of release of the tie holding device 57 is also timed so that the next following tie in the stack 55 is held when it reaches the position 80.

It will be seen from FIG. 7 that the tie being held in the turntable in position 81 is vertically positioned below the rails 9 and above the conveyor 29. Thus, the tie is free to rotate in this position. At this stage the cylinder 83 is actuated causing the housing 63 and tie 81 to rotate through 90 so that the tie assumes a position transverse to the rails 9 and the conveyors 29. With the tie being held in this transverse position the cylinder 73 is actuated causing-cradle 77 to move upwardly and engage the tie. The engagement of the cradle 77 with the tie 81 signals the tie holding mechanism 68 to release thus permitting the tie 81 to rest on the cradle 77. The cylinder 73 is then retracted lowering the tie 81 onto the conveyor 29. In this position the tie is carried along by the tie engaging lugs 29A and as soon as the tie has cleared the cradle 77 the cylinder 73 is again actuated causing the cradle 77 to extend upwardly to receive the next tie.

In the meantime, the turntable has returned to the position shown in FIG. 7, received another tie from the chute 54 and rotated 90 to be placed on the conveyor.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an apparatus for constructing railroad track sections comprising a support structure including a conveying path, means for conveying a plurality of longitudinally spaced ties along said path, means for delivering a pair of laterally spaced rails above said ties such that the rails are initially vertically spaced above the ties and come to rest on said ties and means for delivering an assembled track section from said path,

the combination which includes a tie storage structure mounted on said support structure at an elevation higher than the conveying means and arranged to hold ties in a position parallel to the rails, an elongated tie receiving chute extending downwardly from said tie support structure between and parallel to said rails, means associated with said chute for releasably holding a tie therein, a tie receiving turntable positioned below said chute, said turntable comprising a rectangular housing having an elongated tie receiving opening extending vertically therethrough, a pair of semicircular support flanges extending horizontally outwardly from the side walls of the housing and a pair of hangers for supporting said semicircular flanges, said hangers presenting horizontal sector-shaped support faces on which said flanges rest, said sector-shaped support faces being in diametrically opposed, spaced relationship whereby the turntable is rotatable through 90 in a horizontal plane positioned below said rails and turntable opening during rotation and allowing the tie to drop out of the opening when at rlght angles with the rails.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the turntable includes a sensing device indicating the presence of a tie within the opening.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein abutments are provided to limit the distance of rotation of the turntable.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turntable includes holding means therein for releasably holding a tie within the opening.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, which includes a vertically reciprocal tie carrying means positioned beneath the turntable for receiving a tie therefrom and lowering it onto the conveyor.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tie storage structure includes crowder walls for urging stacked ties into a position above said tie receiving chute.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tie receiving chute includes powered presser plates for holding the lowermost tie in the chute.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectangular housing is guided for rotation about an imaginary center of rotation by means-of circular guide walls adjacent the ends thereof.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein guide rollers are provided on the ends of the rectangular housing for engagement with the circular guide walls.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensing device is operatively connected to the chute tie holding means.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensing device is also operatively connected to power means for rotating the turntable.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a parallel holding circuit is provided which is actuated during rotation of the turntable to maintain the tie holding means in the chute in engagement with a tie. 

1. In an apparatus for constructing railroad track sections comprising a support structure including a conveying path, means for conveying a plurality of longitudinally spaced ties along said path, means for delivering a pair of laterally spaced rails above said ties such that the rails are initially vertically spaced above the ties and come to rest on said ties and means for delivering an assembled track section from said path, the combination which includes a tie storage structure mounted on said support structure at an elevation higher than the conveying means and arranged to hold ties in a position parallel to the rails, an elongated tie receiving chute extending downwardly from said tie support structure between and parallel to said rails, means associated with said chute for releasably holding a tie therein, a tie receiving turntable positioned below said chute, said turntable comprising a rectangular housing having an elongated tie receiving opening extending vertically therethrough, a pair of semicircular support flanges extending horizontally outwardly from the side walls of the housing and a pair of hangers for supporting said semicircular flanges, said hangers presenting horizontal sector-shaped support faces on which said flangEs rest, said sector-shaped support faces being in diametrically opposed, spaced relationship whereby the turntable is rotatable through 90* in a horizontal plane positioned below said rails and above said conveying path, the rotation being between a location in which the turntable opening is in alignment with the chute and a location in which the turntable opening is longitudinally at right angles with the rails, and means associated with said turntable opening for holding a tie therein and releasing the tie to be deposited onto the conveyor when the turntable opening is at right angles with the rails.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein support plates are positioned below the turntable, said plates being capable of supporting a tie within the turntable opening during rotation and allowing the tie to drop out of the opening when at right angles with the rails.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the turntable includes a sensing device indicating the presence of a tie within the opening.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein abutments are provided to limit the distance of rotation of the turntable.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turntable includes holding means therein for releasably holding a tie within the opening.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, which includes a vertically reciprocal tie carrying means positioned beneath the turntable for receiving a tie therefrom and lowering it onto the conveyor.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tie storage structure includes crowder walls for urging stacked ties into a position above said tie receiving chute.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tie receiving chute includes powered presser plates for holding the lowermost tie in the chute.
 9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rectangular housing is guided for rotation about an imaginary center of rotation by means of circular guide walls adjacent the ends thereof.
 10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein guide rollers are provided on the ends of the rectangular housing for engagement with the circular guide walls.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sensing device is operatively connected to the chute tie holding means.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensing device is also operatively connected to power means for rotating the turntable.
 13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a parallel holding circuit is provided which is actuated during rotation of the turntable to maintain the tie holding means in the chute in engagement with a tie. 